The closed Del Norte brewery posts goodbye note on Facebook

Del Norte Brewing, which quietly closed up shop sometime in November after five years, posted a goodbye note over the weekend on its reactivated Facebook page, thanking fans for drinking its beers. But the brewery, which made award-winning Mexican-style craft lagers, didn't offer an explanation as to why it ceased operations.

Nor did co-owner Joe Fox return phone calls or e-mails following the closure, but the brewery has sold some of its equipment to Oskar Blues and Lone Tree Brewing.

Del Norte is the first Denver brewery to close since 2008 and one of only a handful of Colorado breweries to shut the doors in recent years.

The message read: "Friends and Fans - After 5 years of brewing our award-winning beers, Del Norte Brewing Co. has made the difficult business decision to wrap up operations. We want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement. We look forward to enjoying the great beers made by our fellow brewers and growing the friendships we've developed through Del Norte. Salud!"

Del Norte was known for making lighter lagers in the style of Corona and Bohemia, and for asking customers in the tasting room to compare the freshness of its beer to that of the megabrewers. Some of its brands included Manana, Orale and Cinco.

In 2011, the brewery quadrupled its production and began distributing in four other states as customers looked for a local alternative to the usual Mexican beers. Del Norte bottled almost all of its beers, including a winter seasonal called Luminaria.

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